Thursday, December 8, 2016

Growth Chart Ruler: An Upcycled Pallet Project


This is one of those projects that I have been planning to do for years; eight to be exact. I am thrilled to finally have it completed. It only took me a couple hours to finish and considering I had all four of my little helpers working with me, I call it a huge success.

I started with an old scrap board I removed from a pallet that I found on our property. It was pretty rough and slightly wonky but overall it was the perfect size. 


 I cut it to length and let the boys sand it smooth. They really enjoyed being able to get involved with the construction process, even if their “hands got really tired” (we are never short on the drama around these parts ☺️) before we were finished. 

We all agreed we liked the look of the old pallet but wanted some add some color. 
So I found some old paint in the garage and thinned it out with water to create a colored stain. 
The older boys painted the board and we let it dry before I brought it in to finish painting on the ruler lines. 


The biggest success of this project comes with the next step. I freehanded block numbers on the board! I know, not that impressive to some. However, in the past I have been so much of a perfectionist that I cannot stand my own designs and I have to use a printed template. So the success isn’t so much in the work itself, but the freedom to enjoy my own art. This board will not only serve as a marker for the physical growth of my boys but also as a reminder of my growth as well.


After measuring out the lines with a tape measure I used a paint pen to enhance them. Then I used a playing card to mark my lines for the numbers. I drew them in pencil and worked on each one until I was satisfied. I let my older two fill them in with paint. (Another growing moment for me; relinquish control) 



We all enjoyed working together on this project and I am elated with the results. And as an added bonus it was completely free! 




As you may be able to see, the board does not lay completely flush with the wall do to its warped condition, however it serves its purpose well. Each night the boys check to see how much they have grown. A couple on tippy toes seem to grow every night! 😉

If I were to buy supplies for this project I recommend a nice straight board and 3M Command Picture hanging strips. As the most difficult portion of this project was hanging it at the correct hight to aline with the numbers on the board. Overall this is a fun and easy project. 

Until next time, keep growing!

Sonja 




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